Gas supplies from Nigeria to Europe via the planned Trans-Sahara gas pipeline will not be able to fully compensate for the Russian gas shortage. Such an opinion in an interview with RIA Novosti expression Shoeib Butamine, strategic advisor to the oil and gas industry and CEO of Algerian consulting firm Ranadrill.
“Of course not. The gas from the Trans-Sahara gas pipeline might compensate a little bit, but that won’t be enough right now,” he said. in the European energy market.
Butamin called the fact that the European Union “could not maintain cheap Russian pipeline gas supplies” as a historical and strategic mistake. He announced that more than 155 billion cubic meters of gas is sent from Russia to Europe annually and that the supply could increase to 210 billion cubic meters if the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline comes into operation. The expert pointed out that Russia sells pipeline fuel to European countries at low prices.
Butamin acknowledged that the Trans-Sahara gas pipeline could benefit Nigeria, Niger, Algeria and Italy (become a European hub). But the project, for example, will not be of interest to France: “it will pay more for this gas than buyers from Italy,” said the source. According to him, Europe will not be able to return to the “golden age” of cheap energy sources.
Algeria, Nigeria and Niger 29 July signed It was a memorandum of understanding that allowed work to resume on the Trans-Sahara gas pipeline project. A 4,000 kilometer main pipeline will carry gas from Nigeria to Algeria. In addition, Nigerian gas can be supplied to European countries via the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline. This pipeline connects Algeria and Italy. It is also possible to transport through the Trans-Sahara gas pipeline in the form of liquefied natural gas.
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